Nationwide Ruling Halts Trump's Preschool Immigration Policy

A federal judge has blocked an attempt by President Trump's administration to prevent undocumented children from enrolling in Head Start. The injunction stops the enforcement of a new policy interpreting the PRWORA law to include immigration status as a factor in eligibility for the program.

A federal judge in Seattle has issued a nationwide injunction preventing the Trump administration from implementing a policy that would have barred undocumented children from enrolling in Head Start. The order was issued by U.S. District Judge Ricardo Martinez, who acted at the request of several Head Start associations across the country.

This decision follows another recent court ruling in Rhode Island against the administration's new immigration policy. The rule, introduced by the Department of Health and Human Services, reinterpreted the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) to expand federal benefit restrictions to include Head Start.

Martinez criticized the administration's failure to follow rulemaking procedures and stated that Congress had not intended for immigration status to be a criterion for Head Start eligibility. Despite the legal setback, the White House remains confident the higher courts will support the administration's stance.

(With inputs from agencies.)